Mike

Mike

Uveal Melanoma and Colon Cancer

Mike, an avid amateur golfer, former college football player and a 20+ year NCAA football referee, was in excellent health when he awoke on December 12, 2018, and could not see out of his left eye. Mike is a husband, father to twin daughters, Ironman triathlete, successful business owner and, amongst other things, has even built an airplane from scratch in his workshop. Mike never let life slow him down.

“When I couldn’t see well out of my left eye, I thought I had just scratched my eye with something flying around in my workshop. I didn’t think anything of it and headed out to the golf course to walk 18 holes with my clubs on my back,” said Mike. “But on the 9^th hole, it became evident that I couldn’t see anything out of that eye. So, I walked off the course and went straight to my optometrist, who happened to be doing my required annual eye exams for NCAA Football.

Mike was immediately referred to an ophthalmologist and then a retina specialist, who determined that Mike had uveal melanoma, or ocular melanoma, which is a kind of cancer that occurs in the eye and can easily spread to other parts of the body. The tumor within his eye had torn his retina, making left eyesight impossible.

Over the next year, Mike had nine eye surgeries, radiation in his eye and spent two months lying face down trying to save his vision. “My retina specialist, Dr. David A. Reichstein at Tennessee Retina, tried his best to save my sight, but his ultimate goal was to save my life. After a year-long battle, he was successful in saving my life, but my vision was permanently lost.”

Because his cancer could come back, Mike was referred to Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in February 2020 where he was monitored closely under the care of Meredith McKean, MD, MPH, Director of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research. When scans revealed that the cancer had reemerged, this time in his liver, Mike was offered an option to go on a clinical trial specifically tailored to his cancer.

“I opted into the trial and began in September 2020, in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I made terrific friends with both staff and others facing cancer during this dark time. A few have lost the fight and I wear bracelets every day to remember their battle and remind myself that my fight means something – I wanted to share my story simply to show what is possible through modern medicine, professional healthcare and positive thinking.”

Over the coming months, Mike’s scans began to show a slow in the spread of his cancer and then, eventually, some shrinking of his tumors. He was able to resume daily life and activity but with a few side effects – dizziness, fatigue, joint inflammation and a stronger than usual appetite.

In January 2023, scans showed that the cancerous spots on his liver were nearly gone. He received treatment, through IV, every other Monday for more than two years. He then entered into a battle with stage III colon cancer and finished chemotherapy in summer of 2024. In November 2024, his scans showed no sign of disease. He is no longer on active treatment and comes in every three months for check ups with Dr. McKean at SCRI Oncology Partners.

“Dr. McKean could not believe it and asked to see the results of the scans a second time! This is a medical breakthrough in the fight against cancer. The care I have received at SCRI has saved my life.”

Throughout this fight, Mike continued doing what he loves, playing golf. He recently played in two professional golf events and numerous amateur tournaments,  despite being blind in one eye.

“I can say confidently that I am the best partially blind, stage IV cancer fighter, out there! I played the USGA qualifier just three days after my active, seven-hour immunotherapy treatment.  In total, I walked nine miles with 12,000 feet of vertical incline and decline throughout the golf course. I committed early on to find things that bring me joy and pursue those things and that is what I have done. Mindset is such a tool in the fight against cancer. I see a long, fruitful life ahead of me and I am so thankful for Sarah Cannon Research Institute and the power of clinical trials.”